quote

American  

[kwoht] / kwoʊt /

verb (used with object)

• quotes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• quoted,
  past participle,  past
• quoting
  present participle

1. to repeat (a passage, phrase, etc.) from a book, speech, or the like, as by way of authority, illustration, etc.

2. to repeat words from (a book, author, etc.).

3. to use a brief excerpt from.

   The composer quotes Beethoven's Fifth in his latest work.

4. to cite, offer, or bring forward as evidence or support.

5. to enclose (words) within quotation marks.

6. Commerce.

   1. to state (a price).

   2. to state the current price of.

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verb (used without object)

• quotes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• quoted,
  past participle,  past
• quoting
  present participle

1. to make a quotation or quotations, as from a book or author.

2. (used by a speaker to indicate the beginning of aquotation. )

noun

• quotes
  plural

1. a quotation.

2. quotation mark.

idioms

1. quote unquote, so called; so to speak; as it were.

   If you're a liberal, quote unquote, they're suspicious of you.

quote British  

/ kwəʊt /

verb

1. to recite a quotation (from a book, play, poem, etc), esp as a means of illustrating or supporting a statement

2. (tr) to put quotation marks round (a word, phrase, etc)

3. stock exchange to state (a current market price) of (a security or commodity)

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noun

1. an informal word for quotation quotation quotation quotation

2. (often plural) an informal word for quotation mark

   put it in quotes

interjection

1. an expression used parenthetically to indicate that the words that follow it form a quotation

   the president said, quote, I shall not run for office in November, unquote

Usage

What is a basic definition of quote? Quote means to repeat the exact words of a speaker or an author. A quote is also a passage or statement repeated in this way. Quote means to cite something as a form of proof. Quote has several other senses as a verb and a noun. To quote something or someone is to repeat the exact words they said or to recite the exact words written in a book. Real-life examples: Great speakers often quote other inspiring people when making speeches. Newspapers will often quote the people they interviewed to show the reader they aren’t making things up or paraphrasing. Religious leaders will often quote the words written in a holy book when giving sermons. Used in a sentence: The speaker quoted poet John Donne when she said, “No man is an island.” In this sense, quote is a phrase, statement, or written passage that another person repeats exactly. Real-life examples: The news will report quotes of politicians, economists, scientists, and other important people. Many popular sayings and phrases are quotes. Used in a sentence: “A house divided against itself cannot stand” is a famous Abraham Lincoln quote. Quote also means to offer something as evidence or supporting facts. Real-life examples: Lawyers and judges will often quote earlier court cases when making arguments. Religious leaders or followers will frequently quote religious texts when explaining what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. Used in a sentence: The attorney quoted the earlier legal decision when she argued that the new law was unjust.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• quoter
  noun
• superquote
  verb
• outquote
  verb (used with object)
• prequote
  verb (used with object)
• requote
  verb (used with object)
• unquoted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• quotes
  plural

Participles

• quoting
  present
• quoted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• quote
  simple
• quotes
  simple
• have quoted
  perfect
• has quoted
  perfect
• am quoting
  progressive
• are quoting
  progressive
• is quoting
  progressive
• have been quoting
  perfect progressive
• has been quoting
  perfect progressive

Past

• quoted
  simple
• had quoted
  perfect
• was quoting
  progressive
• were quoting
  progressive
• had been quoting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will quote
  simple
• will have quoted
  perfect
• will be quoting
  progressive
• will have been quoting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of quote

First recorded in 1350–1400; 1880–85 quote for def. 9; Middle English coten, quoten, from Old French coter, from Medieval Latin quotāre “to divide into chapters and verses,” derivative of Latin quot “how many”

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Explanation

If a journalist is interviewing you and you blurt out something inappropriate, you will have to ask her not to quote you on that. Sometimes the word quote is used as shorthand for quotation, a passage of speech or writing that’s repeated word for word. As a verb, to quote means to repeat someone’s words, attributing them to their originator. If you’re giving a speech on personal organization, you might want to quote Ben Franklin in it — he’s the master. When you write out a quote, you put the other person’s words in quotation marks (“Aha!”). Sometimes a price estimate is called a quote, like when a mechanic looks at your engine and gives you a quote for the cost of repair.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quote quotes quoted quoting

Nobody gets a quote on air defenses for a server farm unless the server farm has enemies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

But I take from that quote that you’d grown unenthused about electric guitar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

In a quote from his notes, he outlined how a senior figure in the RUC told him they had extra resources on standby in case of a bombing.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

With “Digger,” Iñárritu commands — to quote “Real Housewives of New York” alum Kelly Bensimon — “You come up to me; I don’t go down to you.”

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

Below her name is a quote from Maya Angelou: “I believe that every person is born with talent.”

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Across the UK, car insurance quotes have risen by 82% since 2021 and Eli Glantz, an expert in organised crime and policing at security think tank Rusi, says vehicle crime "is certainly a factor".

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

Come for the many murmured quotes, stay for some top-notch literary analysis.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026

Read Tonda Eckert's press conference quotes in full.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

You can click on the tickers for the latest yield quotes.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

My parents loved him for how he could pepper an otherwise folksy speech with Shakespeare quotes and for the famous, mouth-stuffing vigor with which he ate fried chicken at community events on the South Side.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

On Wednesday, his doctors were quoted by the Vatican as saying that the pope's recovery was "proceeding as expected".

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Well, this isn’t one I was surprised to find because it’s quoted a few times in the show, but it’s still like a less obvious one: “The Sopranos.”

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2026

TIPS, of course, are the Treasury’s Inflation Protected Securities, and their quoted yields are above and beyond inflation.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Silver also quoted several Chiefs players who said after the game that they’d be in favor of such a move.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Danny didn’t need to read the passage—he quoted it by heart with mechanical swiftness.

From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok

They enjoy quoting Martin Luther King and claim to champion colorblind public policies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Earlier that morning, Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei published a flattering bulletin placing Schmitt atop the speculative short list to be Vice President JD Vance’s 2028 running mate, quoting admirers of the senator.

From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2026

As I’ve written previously, quoting Tan and other experts, there is no cure for dementia.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

"Burn to be mild" is the Daily Star's take, quoting the president who says he "can do business" with the new British leader.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

She was always quoting famous Black writers and activists.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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Related Words

• cite
• name
• recall
• refer to

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